1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to a portable data processing system including a cooling apparatus for efficiently cooling a microprocessor included within the portable system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system in a data processing system including a portable computer system coupled to a docking station for efficiently cooling a microprocessor included within the portable computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems have attained widespread use for providing computing power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computer systems can usually be defined as a desk top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists of a system unit having at least one system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display monitor, a keyboard, one or more diskette drives, a fixed disk storage, and an optional printer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard (also known as and occasionally mentioned herein as a system board, system planar, or planar) to electronically connect these components together. These systems are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user and are inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's Intellistation and IBM's PC 300 PL and PC 300 GL.
The capacity and performance of portable personal computers, such as laptop computers, notebook computers, and the like, have recently been enhanced to such an extent that thermal dissipation requirements of these computers have soared. The increase in the thermal dissipation requirements is a result of ever increasing CPU performance and the additional functionality, such as DVD, modem, audio, and others. The ability to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by these faster components represents an opportunity for a potential competitive advantage as well as a significant product differentiation from currently available and commercially sold portable personal computer systems.
Often, portable personal computer systems are coupled to docking stations to enhance the operation of the portable computer system. The docking station may include additional resources, such as a hard disk drive, which may be utilized by the portable computer.
Therefore a need exists for a method and system in a portable data processing system for efficiently cooling a microprocessor included within the portable computer system.